Italy beat Portugal 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-19) - duration 1:02
23-May, start time: 20:32 - Attendance: 2,134Easy victory for the young Italian team.
All really easy for the Italian national team in the day of the debut of Gian Paolo Montali as coach. Italy has imposed for 3-0, but above all it has shown a convincing game, precise in attack, efficient to block. In great evidence Mastrangelo and Biribanti, an attacker at his debut with the blue sweater. Good also Meoni, at his reentry in the national team after one year of absence. Italy has found resistance in Portugal only in the first part of the match, then in coincidence of the first technical "time out" has operated the passing and since the 8-7 the first set has actually been to unique sense until the end 25-16 initialed by Mastrangelo to block. Blues immediately at the head also in the second set, with Portugal that appears weak to block and few prickly in attack. Italy likes for the enthusiasm with which it stirs in the court, often resulting very strong in the spike and impassable to block. Meoni after some imperceptible initial inaccuracy takes in hand the team and alternate with equilibrium the attackers he has at disposition. It is the occasion to show themselves for Cozzi and Cernic, the rest is done by Portugal, that progressively goes out of scene and surrenders 25-18 wronging a lot. Without story also the final set, with Italy immediately in advantage 4-0, then busy only to easily check a very faulty adversary.